A passion for performance!

12 September 2016 | by Julian Saipe

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I knew about performance before I was born. My mother was a concert pianist and performed at the very highest level, even throughout her pregnancy. By all accounts, she could barely reach the keyboard when she performed the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.1 with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, one month before my birth! I then performed throughout my childhood as a treble (boy soprano) and then, when nature took its course and my voice broke, as a bass baritone with the chorus at the Royal Opera House until 2002 when I joined Zafferano.

I’ve always loved the buzz of the theatre, the coming together of a production, and the thrill of the audience – the work we do at Zafferano is just that! First and foremost we have a brigade of chefs and a kitchen full of produce, working with incredible menus, (#foodthatsings is our social media strap-line) however, our work is also an exercise in stage management, and the delivery of a great show.

After my work at the Royal Opera House, I’ve always been inspired to work in the greatest arenas, and the daily opportunity we have to stage events in venues such as the Apollo, British Museum, Natural History Museum, Roundhouse, Victoria and Albert Museum is second to none.

At Zafferano we talk about the orchestration of events which not only includes the operations of an event (we are all familiar with catering logistics, health and safety, quality control etc.) but also the many layers and depth required to make the event resonate with its audience; we work with a narrative script that encompasses a bespoke menu, the event design and a unique set, and, of course, a front of house team (costumed or not), the players in our show.

The real purpose of a great performance is to draw an audience into a world which changes them in some way, lifting their senses so that they leave the experience feeling transported. From the Edinburgh Fringe to arena rock, from a poetry reading to a flash mob in a city centre we are all moved by great performance. The hospitality at an event should engender the same transformation on our guests. And so, in the light of immersive events and experiential marketing, we offer our guests a level of hospitality which has the power of a great performance, leaving them feeling changed… as if by magic!

For more information about Zafferano, email info@zafferano.co.uk or call 020 8905 9120